Drinkers drank – it just wasn’t alcohol

A growing number of people are choosing to give up alcohol as the new year begins. 

“Dry January” is an annual trend that has been gaining momentum, with many people using the month to reset their bodies and start the new year off on a positive note. 

But that means January is typically the slowest month for alcohol sales, when local bars and restaurants struggle to maintain usual business. They’ve learned they need to advertise their non-alcoholic offerings.

At Tin Roof, a popular downtown Columbia bar, General Manager Brice Morgan said he has noticed a decrease in alcohol consumption, especially in the first part of the month. 

“The first two weeks of the year, a lot of people still came out with their friends and would drink other things, you know, have a Coke or a Diet Coke,” Morgan said. 

People take on this challenge for a variety of reasons, whether it’s a competition with friends, a New Year’s resolution or a personal goal.

“Maybe some Christmases didn’t go so well back at home, that’s probably not a bad bet,” Morgan said. “And I could see maybe some people wanted some change in their life after that.”

Tin Roof has experienced a decrease in demand for alcoholic beverages in years past at the start of the year. 

It took to social media to advertise the bar’s mocktails and non-alcoholic beers as an alternative for those participating.

“We did some social media regarding mocktails and various things like that,” Morgan said. “We have some beers that are non-alcoholic, and some people do like to drink those.” 

Local liquor stores also are feeling the effects. Brian McCurry, the general manager of Bottles Beverage Superstore, has seen a shift in customer purchasing habits.

“With fewer customers buying alcohol, we’ve seen a significant rise in people purchasing Delta THC products as an alternative,” McCurry said.

Kaden Moracco, a student at the University of South Carolina, participated in Dry January this year for the first time. 

“It started off as just a fun challenge with my roommates to see if any of us could even do it,” Moracco said. “I didn’t expect to actually complete it successfully, let alone enjoy doing it.” 

The most substantial impact for Moracco was the impact it had on his bank account. 

It’s estimated that going alcohol free for just one month can save a person between $300-1,000 depending on consumption, according to Fred Harrington, the CEO of Coupon Mister.

“Not drinking has saved me so much money. I’m actually starting to think my bank account might like me again,” he said with a laugh. 

Moracco said he didn’t let the challenge affect his social life. He still hung out with friends and did everything he was doing before, just without a drink in hand. 

“At first, I was worried I’d be spending my weekends alone, but honestly, not much changed,” he said. “I still went to the bars with my friends, just swapped the drinks for sodas.”